The right equipment to walk your dog could mean a great deal to the both of you. Comfort, safety, visibility, and control are all essential aspects to any collar or harness that you decide to use for your pooch during exercise, training, and a simple leisurely stroll. The type of walkers that both you and your dog are will depend on what will work best for you, a collar or harness. Is your dog a puller, or is he well trained? Are you two hiking or jogging together, or just walking around the block every morning? Is your dog extremely active, or reactive, to his environment or is he content to walking along beside you without a care in the world? The answers to these questions will help you ultimately decide which item, and what kind, will work best.
The Puller
Pulling on the leash is one of the most highly reported problems that professional dog trainers are faced with every day. Big dogs and little dogs will both pull hard on their leash to get where they want to go, sniff that tree or attempt to walk faster. The true cause of leash pulling is simple; humans walk far, far slower than the average dog. Walking at a human’s pace is mundane for a dog, and they need help to learn how to do it. Meanwhile, when you do walk your pooch and he’s pulling like an Iditarod champion it can make getting exercise for you both more of a chore than a pleasant experience. Your dog, if being walked on a collar, is also dealing with the choking sensation that comes with his own pulling. As a human, we think “Dumb dog! Stop pulling and you won’t choke!” Unfortunately for the dog, he does not understand that his pulling is causing his choking like we do. Instead, it is up to us to make him more comfortable and relieve the pressure put on the leash.
This can be done a few ways. The most obvious is to train your dog to stop pulling, but this can take time and patience. Even during training he will require regular walks for exercise and mental stimulation. This can be fixed through the us of a no-pull walking device. A large variety of both collars and harnesses exist for this, with the safest typically being the front-clipping harness. This harness eliminates both choking and pulling by clipping the leash to the ring on the dog’s chest instead of his neck or back. Other options include the head halter, where you gain control over the dog’s head. Collars for no-pull require real training to prevent pain or damage to your dog, such as the prong collar. Some dogs respond well to them, but unless you train them not to pull along with using one, they will continue pulling and causing even more damage to their throats. After all, they don’t understand that pulling leads to choking or pain like we do!
The Athlete
Hiking, jogging, agility or other sports in which your dog shows off his athletic skills will require a flexible and comfortable harness. Ideally, a sports harness will come equipped with a handle for you to hold onto for any reason, from helping your dog over a fallen log on a hike to holding him back before a run through an agility course. These harnesses must be able to move easily with your dog’s natural movements so as not to hinder him or cause injury.
Collars are also easily used for athletic pups, but it really depends on what your activity is. For dogs who are hiking on trails, a breakaway collar will be safest. These collars will break off your dog should he become tangled in a branch that could lead to choking or hanging. With any activity, keep the collar lightweight, quick drying or water proof and easy to clean! Nylon, leather and fleece materials are recommended for activities that will involve water, mud or dirt.
Know your dog and your upcoming activity to better choose the items that will work best for you. While some dogs can easily walk by your side with an ordinary flat collar, other pups may need the extra control from their owners that a no-pull harness or sports harness provides. It may take some trial and error on your part to figure out the best item for the both you to safely and comfortably walk, jog, hike or otherwise exercise together.
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